


Little Talks

by xofstardust



Series: Shipping prompts [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), low key pining because Shiro is dense lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 09:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13784256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xofstardust/pseuds/xofstardust
Summary: “Hey, uh… are youokay?” Came the dreaded question, the grimace to follow upon hearing it being completely against his will, and poorly did he conceal it with an aversion of his gaze. “Whoa, okay, I’ll take that as ano…” A pause, followed by the sound of shuffling which tempted Shiro to look and see just what exactly the other was doing. “… Do you… wannatalkabout it?” Lance sounded far too enthusiastic in the offer.With a hesitant look tossed the boy’s way, Shiro could practically see the hopeful gleam in his eyes, bright andblinding. Lance appeared ready toleapinto action, as though he had something to prove, though what exactly that was, Shiro hadn’t the faintest. Still, the offer had been presented to him, and though words of dismissal had been on the tip of his tongue, the elder found himself hesitating.





	Little Talks

     It had hit him far too sudden, far too _quickly_ , to appropriately brace for impact. The thoughts that were all too eager to overwhelm had all but nearly swept him off his feet, leaving all towering six feet of him almost swaying where he stood. He tried desperately to put a name to the feeling, to justify to himself that this was nothing new and there were known methods of _coping_ , but there wasn’t nearly enough words in earth’s many languages available for him to pin point just _how_ it left him feeling exactly.

     Weak, would be a word close enough; _Vulnerable_ was even closer.

     It wasn’t quite time to retire for bed, and faintly did the other’s voices carry down dimly light halls and distant corridors, but the distance was necessary, he reasoned. No doubt would the withdrawn demeanor raise concern, but pitying gazes and gentle inquires of concern were the last things Shiro needed– and yet silence coupled with solitude left him feeling just as bad, if not worse. Alone, the control deck felt much larger than usual, the vast expanse of never ending space beyond it’s windows seemingly increasing it’s size tenfold. 

     A brief moment passed in which he regretted his self-imposed seclusion, but Shiro reminded himself adamantly that the other option wouldn’t have been much better. Difficult as it was to remain composed in front of the others, it was necessary– it was always necessary. Regardless of what he preached, of allowing others to open up and express _helplessness_ in their time of need, it was a luxury he couldn’t allow himself to indulge in.

     He was a hypocrite, and he knew it.

     Shoulders jolted upon the sound of a door sliding open, a familiar figure strolling in far too casually for Shiro’s current comfort and looking among the empty seats in search of… _something_ , only to visibly perk up upon the sight of the black paladin occupying one of many chairs within the room. 

     “Hey, Shiro! We thought you went to bed!” Lance exclaimed, flashing a bright smile before eyes locked onto their initial target, a small  _‘aha!’_ escaping the brunet as hands lunged for the object in particular– headphones– and held them up in triumph. Only after claiming his prize did he return his attention to the taller man, gaze oblivious to the discomfort Shiro could feel dripping off every and any expression he attempted to come off as friendly. “Doing some leadership thinking stuff, or something?”

     “Or something…” Shiro muttered just loud enough for the other to hear, hearing the dejection in his own voice. He winced at the sound, knowing that even Lance would be able to pick up on it– and he did, if _that_ look was anything to go by. The beat of silence the proceeded almost had Shiro hoping that the other would simply drop the matter entire and leave… and yet another part hoped he’d stay as much needed _company_.

     “Hey, uh… are you _okay_?” Came the dreaded question, the grimace to follow upon hearing it being completely against his will, and poorly did he conceal it with an aversion of his gaze. “Whoa, okay, I’ll take that as a _no_ …” A pause, followed by the sound of shuffling which tempted Shiro to look and see just what exactly the other was doing. “… Do you… wanna _talk_ about it?” Lance sounded far too enthusiastic in the offer.

     With a hesitant look tossed the boy’s way, Shiro could practically see the hopeful gleam in his eyes, bright and _blinding_. Lance appeared ready to _leap_ into action, as though he had something to prove, though what exactly that was, Shiro hadn’t the faintest. Still, the offer had been presented to him, and though words of dismissal had been on the tip of his tongue, the elder found himself hesitating.

     “I… I _really_ don’t want to talk about it, Lance.” He stated honestly, watching the other deflate.

     “Oh… Uh… O-okay, then…” Lance nodded in, what Shiro assumed was, understanding. “… I, uh… I-I’m here _too_ if… if you need me, okay?” _God_ , why did he have to sound so _sad_? And why did he have to say it like _that_? It left him feeling guilty.

     “Actually, I–” He found himself speaking up before Lance could walk away, catching the younger mid-turn. “–I could _really_ use your company right now.” They felt like the right words to say, even if they were difficult to get out. Lance, however, appeared to have caught onto the effort taken to speak the simple request, brows drawn as his focus shifted elsewhere for a brief moment.

     “Do you… Do you need _me_?” He inquired in a tone Shiro had never heard him use before, the sound drawing the elder’s gaze to meet with cobalt blues. “… Or do you need _someone_?” He continued on after a beat, eyes glancing away in what Shiro could only assume was mild hesitance. “There… There _is_ a difference…” They were the most profound words he had ever heard the boy speak, and it left Shiro feeling stunned. Before he could analyze the other’s words further, tanned fingers rose to tangle themselves in short, brunet locks, scratching at the base lightly as shoulders shrugged in Lance’s best aloof manner. It seemed as though the silence was too much for him. “I could like… you know… go get _Keith_ or something…?”

     Keith… Keith was far too _good_ at reading Shiro like an open book, pages well read and worn like a favorite novel. They were best friends, of course, and after all they had been through together, it was only natural for the two to become tuned to one another’s emotions. It was easy to tell when the other was troubled, and most of the time, Shiro was _grateful_ to have such a great friend as he. But right here? Right now? Shiro didn’t _need_ to be read openly; He didn’t need his thoughts to be exposed for what they were, nor for his insecurities to be laid bare. He needed… He _needed_ …

     “I need _you_.” He murmured softly, so much so that for a moment, he thought the other hadn’t even heard him. Words caught in his throat, lips opening and closing in an effort to repeat the words, but before he could produce any semblance of a sound, Lance had all but _plopped_ himself into a chair nearby and kicked back, legs resting atop the coms whilst fingers laced together against his chest. He seemed… _happy_?

     For a moment, Shiro felt tense– _awkward_? Despite not wanting to speak, wanting nothing more than to remain silent and make no effort at conversation, he felt the need to say _something_ now that he was in the presence of another.

     “Do you think the castle has books on alien constellations?” The younger began speaking once more, putting a stop to the desperate grasping of mental straws. “I mean, they have a _really_ big library, Pidge showed me, so they probably _do_ , right?”

     Did Lance expect him to respond? Shiro hadn’t the faintest of what would be the proper answer– _yes_ , perhaps? A _maybe_?

     “You think they name them after like… gods and animals and stuff? Like we do on earth?” He went on without prompting, fingers tapping lightly against one another, foot wiggling off the edge of it’s perch. “Or maybe they name them after flowers and fruit? You never know. Or maybe royalty. That’d be cool. Or you know? Maybe they don’t name them at all! That’d be weird–”

     Shiro tried his best to find an opening to interject and contribute to the conversation, but try as he may, Lance merely continued to speak nonsense, topics leaping from one to another in a nearly seamless manner. It was then that he realized just what the other had been doing the entire time: providing both company and a distraction with absolutely _zero_ requirement of conversational contribution.

     And it was _exactly_ what Shiro needed.

     Faintly did he feel the corners of his lips tug upright at the corners, a small hum of acknowledgement leaving him as he simply leaned back and followed the other’s example, becoming far more comfortable in his seat than is appropriate. Lance’s constant (and eager) chatter, coupled with the ever changing position of the stars beyond their boundaries, left him feeling drowsy and relaxed, eyes growing heavier and heavier as he continued to listen to the other prattle on about everything and nothing.

     …

     He couldn’t remember falling asleep, much less, wrapped within the comforts of a baby blue blanket that felt just right against his chin and cheeks– and yet it was exactly how he found himself waking, fingers lightly touching the material in slight confusion beneath the confines of his cacoon.

     A fond smile made it’s way onto his face, followed by a small huff of gentle laughter.

     But of course–  _Lance_.

**Author's Note:**

> Done from another [shipping prompt](http://xofstardust.tumblr.com/post/171226853222/send-me-a-pairing-and-a-number-and-ill-write-you) (feel free to send in more)! Got another Shance prompt, and though this one was less of a "in a relationship" kind of deal, there was still a bit of pining (though I guess you could take it as just friends?) but it was definitely meant as pining. Shiro's just dense lmao but he's also catchin' them feels, ya feel? c:
> 
> Come say hi and scream ships to me on [tumblr](https://xofstardust.tumblr.com/)!


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